Uladi says Mutharika peddling ‘falsehood’ on assassination plot

The opposition People’s Party (PP) vice-president for Central Region, Uladi Mussa, has accused President Peter Mutharika of peddling “complete falsehood” in his claims that PP operatives plotted to kill him while in custody at Lumbadzi Police Station in Lilongwe so that he does not contest in the May 20 Tripartite Elections.

Mutharika was charged with treason in March 2013 after being accused of plotting a coup. He denied the charge of attempting to bar former president Joyce Banda from constitutionally assuming the presidency following the death of then president Bingu wa Mutharika.

The President has been addressing political rallies claiming there was an attempt on his life.

Uladi Mussa: It is unfortunate Mutharika is peddling lies

But Mussa who was who was Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security at the time, Government had no intention to assassinate him or any of his accomplices.

Mussa described Mutharika’s allegations as “unfortunate and complete falsehood.”

“By the way, why did he not testify when he appeared before court for his treason trial if he had proof that government wanted to assassinate him?”

“When we have broken the law, let us accept that arrests are part of the normal procedures to find out the truth. By arresting him we just wanted the rule of law to take its course,” said Mussa as quoted by The Nation.

Mutharika’s treason trial was dropped as he now enjoys presidential immunity.

An official inquiry found he had asked the military to take over after his brother’s death in 2012.

The military refused, opening the way for Banda, then the vice president, to assume the presidency, the inquiry found.

According to Malawian laws the vice-president automatically takes over power once the office of the president is left vacant through death, incapacity or impeachment.

Assassination claims are not new to the Mutharika presidency. His late brother Bingu in 2006 arrested vice president Dr Cassim Chilumpha on claims that he plotted to kill him.

Chilumpha and businessman Yusuf Matumula are still answering on charges of treason and conspiracy to murder.

The Mutharika government paid money to two key witnesses Thomas Elias Ndlovu, a Malawian living in South Africa, and Graham Minnaar, a former South African intelligence operative.

The witnesses claimed Chilumpha, through Matumula, hired Ndlovu and Minnaar to carry out the murder but, according to the account that emerges from their affidavits, they immediately alerted the Malawi authorities and then played along with the plot to gather more evidence against the alleged conspirators.

Chilumpha and Matumula pleaded not guilty to the charges. The case has stalled.